Garniture device and a machine and a method for manufacturing multi-segment filter rods

ABSTRACT

A garniture device for a machine used in tobacco industry for manufacturing a continuous rod comprising a loose material wrapped with a wrapper. The garniture device has an upper garniture part having forming parts for forming the wrapper around the loose material; a lower garniture part; a garniture duct extending along at least a portion of the lower garniture part; a garniture belt movable in the garniture duct for transporting the wrapper along the garniture duct. The garniture duct further has an inlet part for transforming the garniture belt from a flat configuration into a U-shaped configuration; an outlet part for transforming the garniture belt from the U-shaped configuration into the flat configuration; and a U-shaped part disposed between the inlet part and the outlet part for guiding the garniture belt in the U-shaped configuration.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a garniture device, a machine formanufacturing multi-segment filter rods and a method for manufacturingmulti-segment filter rods.

BACKGROUND

Tobacco industry products, such as cigarettes, may comprise segmentfilters with various filtering materials, in particular loose materials,such as activated charcoal in a form of a loose granulate locatedbetween neighboring segments of a solid form. A segment with activatedcharcoal can be formed by placing the charcoal between the neighboringsolid segments, which typically have a form of rod-like elements havingfiltering properties (for example segments made of acetate) or rod-likeelements having non-filtering properties (for example paper pipes orother elements made of plastic). Manufacturers of filters comprisingcharcoal or other granulate materials aim for placement of portions ofthe loose material such that the space between the solid segments isfilled up as much as possible, preferably in 100%. In such a filter,smoke passes through the filtering material, wherein undesiredsubstances contained in the smoke are filtered out. In the filterwherein the spaces between the solid form segments is not sufficientlyfilled with the loose material, smoke may bypass the filtering materialand pass through empty spaces present in the filter. Moreover, such afilter is prone to deformations in the region filled with the loosematerial.

A U.S. Pat. No. 411,602 discloses a device for compacting filteringsegments containing charcoal granulate. One of its disadvantages is thatthe segments are deformed by a pin, which pushes an inner part of thesegment made of filtering fiber into a charcoal segment which is notsufficiently filled, such as to eliminate an empty space.

A U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,412 discloses a device for increasing the degreeof filling of a space located between segments with granulate. Thegranulate is introduced on two stations, wherein after each introductionit is pressed into the space between the segments. One disadvantage ofsuch a solution is contamination of the product with the granulate anddust. Moreover, such solution occupies lots of space in the machine andtherefore its application is problematic in modern machines, which areexpected to have compact size.

A European patent application EP1293136 discloses a production machinefor the tobacco industry, to produce continuous covered cylindricallengths of hard filter materials or tobacco, has a format unit with sideguide surfaces linked together by a curved guide surface. The guidesurfaces form a contour on a plane at right angles to the direction ofmaterial movement through the unit. At least one side guide surface isasymmetrical before it reaches a vertical orientation.

A U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,645 discloses that cigarette filter units are madein a long strip with alternate portions of fibrous and pourable filtermaterial. The fibrous portions are first attached at spaced intervals toa sheathing strip which is wrapped practically right around them to forma cylinder with regular empty spaces between the fibrous portions andopenings into the spaces. In a special unit, air is extracted from thesespaces so that when the spaces enter a chamber containing pourablefilter material, they suck the material in to fully fill the spaces.Excess filter material is brushed off the filter unit, and a sealingstrip is stuck over the openings.

There is a need to provide a device for manufacturing multi-segmentfilter rods with greater packing efficiency.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a garniture device for a machineused in tobacco industry, and methods using the same.

In an embodiment, the device is used for manufacturing a continuous rodcomprising a loose material wrapped with a wrapper, wherein thegarniture device comprises: a lower garniture part; a garniture ductformed in the lower garniture part; a garniture belt movable in thegarniture duct for transporting the wrapper along the garniture duct; anupper garniture part comprising forming parts for forming the wrapperaround the loose material; wherein the garniture duct comprises: aninlet part for transforming the garniture belt from a flat configurationinto a U-shaped configuration; a U-shaped part for guiding the garniturebelt in the U-shaped configuration; an outlet part for transforming thegarniture belt from the U-shaped configuration into the flatconfiguration. The U-shaped part of the garniture duct comprises, at theside of the inlet part, a first section having a first diameter and, atthe side of the outlet part, a second section having a second diameterbeing smaller than the first diameter, wherein the first section isconnected to the second section by a transition section having a surfaceof a variable diameter.

The transition section may have a conical surface. The first section andthe second section can be arranged co-axially with respect to eachother. Generating lines of the first section, of the transition sectionand of the second section can be located on a common plane.

The length of the transition section can be equal from about 30 to about100 mm, preferably from about 50 to about 80 mm. The second diameter canbe from about 1 to about 5% smaller than the first diameter, preferablyfrom 2.5 to 3% smaller.

In an embodiment, the device is machine used in tobacco industry formanufacturing multi-segment filter rods, comprising: a garniture device;a feeding unit for arranging, longitudinally along an axis in aspaced-apart relationship, rod-like elements in a train on a wrappertransported on a garniture belt of the garniture device; a filling unitfor supplying a loose material to compartments between the rod-likeelements; a glue nozzle for gluing the wrapper around the loosematerial; a cutting head for cutting the continuous rod intomulti-segment filter rods. In an embodiment, the garniture deviceincludes a transition section of the duct of the garniture device islocated at least partially between the filling unit for supplying theloose material and the upper garniture part.

In an embodiment, a difference of dimension of the first greaterdiameter of the garniture duct and the second smaller diameter of thegarniture device is preferably same or less than an average grain sizeof a loose material.

Between the filling unit for supplying the loose material and the uppergarniture part there can be located a cleaning unit for removingcontaminations of the loose material from the rod-like elements,comprising at least one suction element for receiving contaminations ofthe loose material and covering elements displaceable to positions inwhich the covering elements at least partially cover compartments filledwith the loose material between the rod-like elements during themovement of the train in a vicinity of the suction element.

The transition section can be located between the filling unit forsupplying the loose material and the cleaning unit. The transitionsection can be located within the covering elements. The coveringelements can be adapted to be located in a position in which a pressingsurface of the covering elements is lowered with respect to the uppersurface of the rod-like elements. The pressing surface of the coveringelements can be lowered in the range of up to 1% of height of therod-like elements.

An exemplary method embodying features of the present invention formanufacturing multi-segment filter rods, includes: arranging rod-likeelements longitudinally along an axis, in a spaced-apart relationship,in a train on a wrapper located on a garniture belt; supplying a loosematerial to compartments located between the rod-like elements;decreasing a volume of the compartments located between the segments,wherein the compartments are partially filled with the loose material;applying glue to the wrapper and wrapping the wrapper around therod-like elements and the loose material located in the compartmentsbetween the rod-like elements in order to form a continuous filter rod;and cutting the continuous filter rod into multi-segment filter rods.

Devices and methods using the same enable the manufacture of segmentsfilled with a loose material, wherein the segments are filled up as muchas possible. In an embodiment, the segments are filled up at least closeto 100%. Furthermore, the present devices and methods provide a solutionthat does not cause significant contaminations of the rods with theloose material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Claimed subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctlyclaimed in the concluding portion of the specification. However, both asto organization and/or method of operation, together with elements,features, and/or advantages thereof, it may best be understood byreference to the following detailed description if read with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a fragment of an exemplary continuous rod, which is amulti-segment rod with segments filled insufficiently with a loosematerial;

FIG. 2 shows a fragment of an exemplary continuous multi-segment rodwith segments properly filled with a loose material;

FIG. 3 shows schematically a fragment of a machine for manufacturingmulti-segment filter rods;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view A-A of a garniture part;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view B-B of the garniture part;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view C-C of the garniture part;

FIG. 7 shows an arrangement of longitudinal axes of sections of agarniture duct with respect to each other;

FIG. 8 shows an arrangement of generating lines of the sections of thegarniture duct with respect to each other;

FIG. 9 shows a location of an element covering the compartments filledwith a loose material in the region of decreasing compartments volume;

FIG. 10 shows a location of the element covering the compartments filledwith the loose material in front of the region of decreasingcompartments volume;

FIG. 11 shows a location of the element covering the compartments filledwith the loose material behind the region of decreasing compartmentsvolume;

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view C-C of a garniture part;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a fragment of an exemplary continuous multi-segment rod CR1formed from trains of rod-like elements S1 and insufficiently filledsegments SC1, formed by a known device, wherein the segments are wrappedin a wrapper 101. The segments S1 have a solid shape, typicallycylindrical, whereas the segment SC1 is formed from a loose material 102which is located between the respective segments S1.

FIG. 2 shows a fragment of an exemplary continuous multi-segment rod CR2formed from trains of rod-like elements: S1, S2 and SC2 (or,alternatively, only S1 and SC2), which is formed by the device presentedherein. The segments S1, S2 and SC2 are wrapped in the wrapper 101 toform a continuous rod and are subsequently are cut into multi-segmentrods, as presented in FIG. 3. A machine 1 comprises a feeding unit 2which is configured to arrange the rod-like elements S1, S2 as a trainST1, wherein the rod-like elements S1, S2 are transported in asubstantially preset spaced relationship. The rod-like elements S1, S2are fed to a garniture belt 5 moving in a duct 9 along a garniture bar 7(alternatively called a lower garniture part), wherein edges of thewrapper 101 and front surfaces of the elements S1 and S2 formcompartments 3, in which the loose material 102 is supplied from afilling unit 103, forming a segment SC filled with the loose material.The train ST2 of the rod-like elements S1, S2 and SC that moves on thegarniture belt 5 is wrapped in the wrapper 101 by a garniture device 6.A cleaning unit 104 may be located next to the filling unit 103, forremoving contamination from the rod-like elements, i.e. particles of theloose material which fall on the surface of the rod-like elements S1 andS2 in the preceding step, i.e. when the loose material is supplied fromthe filling unit 103. The manufactured continuous rod CR is transportedfurther and, after the wrapper 101 is glued by a gluing nozzle 4 and thegarniture device 6, it is subsequently cut by a cutting head 8 intoindividual multi-segment rods R.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view A-A of the garniture bar 7 with thegarniture belt 5, on which the wrapper 101 is located, on which therod-like elements S1, S2 are located and the loose material 102 isalready supplied into spaces between the rod-like elements S1, S2. Inthis step of manufacturing, the wrapper 101 is U-shaped by the garniturebelt 5. A diameter D1 of the garniture bar 7 in a location where theloose material 102 is supplied is greater than a sum of a diameter ofthe rod-like element S2 and a double thickness T of the garniture belt5. The thickness T of the garniture belt 5 is preferably between 0.2 to1.5 mm. It aims to receive greater amount of the loose material 102 inthe compartments between the rod-like elements, so that in subsequentsteps of manufacturing it is possible to decrease the volume of thecompartments filled with the loose material 102. The decreasing of thecompartments volume is realized by decreasing the diameter of thegarniture duct 9 in the garniture bar 7 (in which the garniture belt 5with the segments S1, S2 and the loose material is guided) from thedimension D1 into the dimension D2. The dimension D1 of the diameter ofthe garniture duct 9 is specified so that it prevents the grains of theloose material 102 to fall between the segments S1, S2 and the wrapper101. The difference in values of the dimensions D1 and D2 depends on thetype of material from which the segments S1, S2 are made of, on the typeof the loose material 102 and a degree of filling of the compartmentwith the loose material 102. Preferably, the difference in valuesbetween dimensions D1 and D2 is not greater than an average size of agrain of the loose material 102. Preferably, the difference between thediameters D1 and D2 is from 0.2 to 1 mm, and more preferably from 0.2 to0.5 mm or from 0.2 to 0.3 mm. Moreover, the second diameter D2, may besmaller than the first diameter D1 from 1 to 5%, preferably from 2.5 to3%. The decrease of the diameters of the garniture duct 9 is effected ona certain distance L, which may be equal from 30 to 100 mm, preferablyfrom 40 to 90 mm. The dimension D2 is preferably equal to a sum of thediameter of the rod-like element S2 and a double thickness T of thegarniture belt 5.

FIG. 5 shows a location, wherein the diameter of the garniture duct 9 isdecreased to dimension D2 and the compartment filled with the loosematerial 102 is covered from the top by a covering element 10 of thecleaning unit 104.

Pressing surfaces 10 a of the covering elements 10 touch the loosematerial 102 accumulated in the consecutive compartments between therod-like elements S1, S2. The pressing surfaces 10 a may be made of anair permeable or impermeable material, depending on the type of theloose material. The covering elements 10 are resilient, for example theymay be made of rubber or a sponge-like material. Furthermore, thecleaning unit 104 is equipped with a suction element 12, preferably asuction nozzle, supplying negative pressure to the zone in which thecovering elements 10 have contact with the loose material or enclose theloose material. The suction element 12 is intended to removecontaminations from the rod-like elements, i.e. particles of the loosematerial which fall on the surface of the rod-like elements S1, S2 inthe preceding step, i.e. when the loose material is supplied from thefilling unit 103.

FIG. 6 shows the garniture device 6 comprising the garniture bar 7 andan upper garniture part 11, which has forming parts 11 a for wrappingthe segments S1, S2 and the loose material 102 with the wrapper 101.After transporting the segments S1, S2 and the compartments with theloose material 102 to the section of the garniture bar 7 with adecreased diameter D2, the loose material 102 is concentrated in thedecreased compartment between the segments, which increases the qualityof filling of the compartment. The section of the garniture duct 9 a isa section having a greater diameter D1 and is located at the inlet sideof the garniture duct 9. The section of the garniture duct 9 b is asection having smaller diameter D2 and is located at the outlet side ofthe garniture duct 9. Between the section 9 a and 9 b of the garnitureduct 9 there is a transition section 9 c of the garniture duct 9. Alongitudinal axis X of the garniture duct 9 may coincide, respectively,with the axes X1, X2, X3 of the sections of the garniture duct havingthe greater diameter 9 a, the transition section 9 c and the section ofthe duct having smaller diameter 9 b, as shown in FIG. 7. Anotherembodiment is also possible, as shown in FIG. 8, wherein thelongitudinal axis X of the garniture duct 9 does not coincide with alllongitudinal axes X1, X2, X3 of the sections of the garniture duct 9 a,9 c, 9 b.

The sections of the garniture duct 9 a, 9 c, 9 b have respectivelygenerating lines Y1, Y3, Y2 which are arranged in parallel with respectto each other on one common plane Z. Moreover, it is advantageous whenthe generating line Y1 of the section of the garniture duct 9 a havingthe greater diameter, the generating line Y2 of the transition sectionof the garniture duct 9 c and the generating line Y3 of the section ofthe garniture duct 9 b having the smaller diameter, coincide with eachother.

FIG. 9 shows an example of placement of the covering element 10 of thecompartment filled with the loose material 102, in a region of thedecreasing volume of the compartments between the segments S1, S2, in atop view. The segments S1, S2 and the compartments with the loosematerial 102 together with the wrapper 101 placed on the garniture belt5 are moved downwards towards the cutting head in the garniture duct 9of the garniture bar 7. In the position where the loose material 102 issupplied to the compartments between the segments S1, S2, the diameterof the garniture duct is equal to D1, next it is gradually decreasedwithin the section L until the dimension of the diameter is equal to D2.While decreasing the diameter of the garniture duct 9, the loosematerial 102 becomes concentrated and the filling of the compartmentincreases, the loose material being slightly lifted towards the top ofthe compartment. Moreover, in the section L there is located a cleaningunit 104, in which the covering element 10 covers the loose material 102from the top and simultaneously presses and concentrates it in thedirection of the compartment interior and causes initial shaping of theupper surface of the compartment with the loose material 102. When thecovering element 10 covers the loose material 102, the contaminations ofthe loose material from the rod-like elements are removed by the suctionelement 12. The covering element 10 prevents the loose material, whichrises due to the narrowing of the garniture duct, from elevating abovethe upper edge of the segments S1, S2.

The cleaning unit 104 may be also located in front of the section L, inwhich the diameter of the garniture duct 9 is decreased, as shown in thesecond embodiment in FIG. 10. In this example, the contaminations of theloose material generated in the step of filling of the loose material102 in the filling unit 103, are removed by the cleaning unit 104. Theloose material 102 supplied to the compartments between the segments S1,S2 is initially concentrated and shaped from the top by the pressingsurface 10 a of the covering element 10. Subsequently, such initiallyshaped loose material 102 with the segments S1, S2 and the wrapper 101is transported downstream, along the garniture duct 9 of the garniturebar 7 by the section L, in which the diameter of the garniture duct 9 isdecreased from D1 to D2, what additionally causes concentration of theloose material 102 and the increase of filling of the compartment whichdecreases volumetrically.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 11, where the cleaning unit 104 islocated behind the section L which decreases the diameter of thegarniture duct 9. The advantage of such a solution is that after thedecrease of the diameter of the garniture duct 9 to the dimension D2,the loose material 102 inside the compartment is shaped so that itssurplus is pushed towards the top, wherein the compartment with theloose material 102 is covered from the top by the pressing surface 10 aof the covering element 10, and the loose material 102 located outsidethe covered region is removed by the suction element 12.

FIG. 12 shows a cross-section C-C of the garniture bar 7. The figureshows the garniture device 6 comprising the lower part, in other wordsthe garniture bar 7 and the upper garniture part 11, which is used towrap the rod-like elements S1, S2 and the loose material 102 with thewrapper 101. This process is performed after the segments S1, S2 of thecompartments 3 with the loose material pass through the sections of theduct 9 a, 9 c and after the cleaning of the upper surface of therod-like elements from the contaminations in location where thegarniture duct 9 has the final diameter D2. In so formed continuousmulti-segment rod, defects in the segments CR2 (that would result frominsufficient filling with the loose material 102) are avoided.

1. A garniture device for a machine used in tobacco industry formanufacturing a continuous rod comprising a loose material wrapped witha wrapper, wherein the garniture device comprises: an upper garniturepart comprising forming parts for forming the wrapper around the loosematerial; a lower garniture part; a garniture duct extending along atleast a portion of the lower garniture part; a garniture belt movable inthe garniture duct for transporting the wrapper along the garnitureduct; the garniture duct further comprising: an inlet part fortransforming the garniture belt from a flat configuration into aU-shaped configuration; an outlet part for transforming the garniturebelt from the U-shaped configuration into the flat configuration; and aU-shaped part disposed between the inlet part and the outlet part forguiding the garniture belt in the U-shaped configuration, the U-shapedpart having a first section disposed at the side of the inlet part andhaving a first diameter, a second section disposed at the side of theoutlet part and having a second diameter being smaller than the firstdiameter, and a variable diameter transition section disposed betweenthe first and second sections.
 2. The garniture device of claim 1,wherein the transition section has a conical surface.
 3. The garnituredevice of claim 1, wherein the first section and the second section arearranged coaxially with respect to each other.
 4. The garniture deviceof claim 1, wherein generating lines of the first section, of thetransition section and of the second section, are located on a commonplane.
 5. The garniture device of claim 2, wherein generating lines ofthe first section, of the transition section and of the second sectionare located on a common plane.
 6. The garniture device of claim 1,wherein the length of the transition section ranges from about 30 toabout 100 mm.
 7. The garniture device of claim 1, wherein the seconddiameter is about 1% to about 5% smaller than the first diameter.
 8. Amachine used in tobacco industry for manufacturing multi-segment filterrods, comprising: a garniture device having an upper garniture partcomprising forming parts for forming a wrapper around a loose material;a lower garniture part; a garniture duct extending along at least aportion of the lower garniture part; a garniture belt movable in thegarniture duct for transporting the wrapper along the garniture duct; afeeding unit for arranging, longitudinally along an axis in aspaced-apart relationship, rod-like elements in a train on the wrappertransported on a garniture belt; a filling unit for supplying the loosematerial to compartments between the rod-like elements; a glue nozzlefor gluing the wrapper around the loose material; a cutting head forcutting the continuous rod into multi-segment filter rods; the garnitureduct further comprising: an inlet part for transforming the garniturebelt from a flat configuration into a U-shaped configuration; an outletpart for transforming the garniture belt from the U-shaped configurationinto the flat configuration; and a U-shaped part disposed between theinlet part and the outlet part for guiding the garniture belt in theU-shaped configuration, the U-shaped part having a first sectiondisposed at the side of the inlet part and having a first diameter, asecond section disposed at the side of the outlet part and having asecond diameter being smaller than the first diameter, and a variablediameter transition section disposed between the first and secondsections, and wherein the transition section is located at leastpartially between the filling unit and the upper garniture part.
 9. Themachine of claim 8, wherein a difference between the first diameter andsecond diameter is equal or less than an average grain size of the loosematerial.
 10. The machine of claim 8, wherein a cleaning unit isdisposed, between the filling unit and the upper garniture part, forremoving contaminants of the loose material from the rod-like elements,comprising at least one suction element for receiving contaminants ofthe loose material and covering elements displaceable to positions inwhich the covering elements at least partially cover compartments filledwith the loose material between the rod-like elements during themovement of the train in a vicinity of the suction element.
 11. Themachine of claim 8, wherein the transition section is located betweenthe filling unit and the cleaning unit.
 12. The machine of claim 8,wherein the transition section is located within the covering elements.13. The machine of claim 8, wherein pressing surface of the coveringelements is lowered with respect to the upper surface of the rod-likeelements in response to pressure.
 14. The machine of claim 8, whereinthe pressing surface of the covering elements is lowered in a range upto 1% of a height of the rod-like elements.
 15. A method formanufacturing multi-segment filter rods, comprising: arranging rod-likeelements longitudinally along an axis, in a spaced-apart relationship,in a train on a wrapper located on a garniture belt; supplying a loosematerial to compartments located between the rod-like elements;decreasing a volume of the compartments partially filled with the loosematerial and located between the segments; applying glue to the wrapperand wrapping the wrapper around the rod-like elements and the loosematerial to form a continuous filter rod; and cutting the continuousfilter rod into multi-segment filter rods.
 16. A method formanufacturing multi-segment filter rods using a machine, the machinecomprising: a garniture device having an upper garniture part comprisingforming parts for forming a wrapper around a loose material; a lowergarniture part; a garniture duct extending along at least a portion ofthe lower garniture part; a garniture belt movable in the garniture ductfor transporting the wrapper along the garniture duct; a feeding unitfor arranging, longitudinally along an axis in a spaced-apartrelationship, rod-like elements in a train on the wrapper transported ona garniture belt; a filling unit for supplying the loose material tocompartments between the rod-like elements; a glue nozzle for gluing thewrapper around the loose material; a cutting head for cutting thecontinuous rod into multi-segment filter rods; the garniture ductfurther comprising: an inlet part for transforming the garniture beltfrom a flat configuration into a U-shaped configuration; an outlet partfor transforming the garniture belt from the U-shaped configuration intothe flat configuration; and a U-shaped part disposed between the inletpart and the outlet part for guiding the garniture belt in the U-shapedconfiguration, the U-shaped part having a first section disposed at theside of the inlet part and having a first diameter, a second sectiondisposed at the side of the outlet part and having a second diameterbeing smaller than the first diameter, and a variable diametertransition section disposed between the first and second sections, andwherein the transition section is located at least partially between thefilling unit and the upper garniture part.